Answers to Questions

If I ask the question, I might as well relay the answer when I stumble across it, and an instance of that occurred in today's reading. Specifically, I'm referring to the branch of Jesse, words we're all familiar with and I won't explain. What I didn't fully understand is that the people of Judah should have been able to recognize those words for what they foretold as well.

Isaiah 11 describes this, and several verses had meaning then, meaning in the time of Christ, and will have a future meaning for us. I'll begin with 11:10:.

In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.

We learn several things in this verse, most importantly, from whom (Jesse, and ultimately David) salvation will come. We also learn that the NATIONS, not just the nation of Judah, will rally to him. Even as far back as Genesis 12:3, God promised us (through Abram) salvation:

I will bless those who bless you,
   and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
   will be blessed through you.

However, this is an alien concept to the people of Judah, who continue to believe that they alone are God's Chosen People. Yes, they were chosen, but nowhere does the Bible suggest that they were God's ONLY people. Isaiah reinforces this concept with this verse, and expands on it in verse 12:

He will raise a banner for the nations
   and gather the exiles of Israel;
he will assemble the scattered people of Judah
   from the four quarters of the earth. 

Imagine you're a citizen of Judah in approximately 700 BC. If you heard these verses, it would be logical to understand them as a promise of a return to glory for Judah (who, remember at this time, is still 120 years away from their exile in Babylon). The people of Judah would continue to look for this Root of Jesse, since their history as an independent nation is essentially over--it will be controlled in varying degrees from Assyria to Babylon to Persia to Greece to Rome. They had reached the zenith of their peace and prosperity during David's and Solomon's reign, and it would only go downhill from there. It's completely understandable to look at these verses and imagine a renewed earthly kingdom.

We, of course, know the meaning(s) of these verses:

1. It was fulfilled in their day when Judah was released from Babylonian captivity in around 530 BC.

2. It was fulfilled with the birth, death and resurrection of Christ 700 years later.

3. It will be fulfilled when Christ comes again and gathers all of us, the modern "exiles of Israel."

I can only hope that the people of Judah in 700 BC understood this. What I PRAY is that we can get this message out to those who don't know it, since that's our primary job on Earth, and will be until we are gathered back, either individually or as a whole on the Last Day.

Scott